I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 53

Episode 53

(Note: Special for this chapter, dialogues from the internet and TV are in 『….』.)

“Th-that’s not it… Sorry, I’m just not good with words…” 

“It’s okay… It was just my lack of understanding. So, what do you mean?” 

“It’s just… as an explorer, how do you fight… Have you ever felt like it was difficult or… like you didn’t want to do it?” 

“Me? Well… The people of Kamino Town have been kind to me, so I guess it feels like a way of repaying that.” 

I use my power for the people I care about. That’s all I’m doing. 

“I see… I don’t have any friends who are explorers, so… I’ve always wanted to ask. Sorry for suddenly asking something like this.” 

“No, it’s fine.” 

I realized I’d never really had this kind of conversation before either. 

Rin nodded quietly before looking back at me. Her eyes seemed a little sad. 

“Haruto, will you keep going into dungeons?” 

“Yeah. First, I plan to completely clear the Kamino Town Dungeon. If it keeps being activated all the time, it’ll mess with my private life.” 

Not just me, but even Miyoshi-san and the others. 

…Though there haven’t been any deaths among the explorers in Kamino Town, who knows when something might happen? 

There’s also the aspect of earning money in the Kamino Town Dungeon. But if you’re going to risk life fighting there for that, you’d definitely earn more by diving into other dungeons with the same amount of effort. 

“I see.” 

Rin’s response sounded distant, and it made me curious. 

“What about you, Rin?” 

“M-me…?” 

“Yeah. What do you think about continuing as an explorer?” 

“…I… I don’t think I’d like it.” 

“I see.” 

Well, for me… I do enjoy combat to some extent. 

The more I fight, the stronger I get… that game-like feeling isn’t something I dislike. 

I’m aware that I’m getting stronger by fighting stronger monsters. 

But I know that everyone has different feelings about this. 

“Yeah… It’s not like I completely dislike it, but I just can’t think of a noble reason like ‘fighting for someone else’…. If I can help it, I don’t want to be an explorer at all.” 

………Rin pretty much always keeps that attitude, even when she’s on TV. 

That coolness seems to be well-received by some. 

But in today’s world, people with the power of an explorer are generally expected to use that power, no matter what country they go to. 

…There are still very few people with abilities, and the number of explorers who can actually clear dungeons is extremely small. So it’s just how things are in society. 

“It’s tough to quit completely, but I hope you can find something enjoyable. Being an explorer does have its perks… Maybe you could spend money freely, or… no, I mean not in a wasteful way, of course.” 

…………But if she ends up getting hooked on gambling or something, that would be bad. What should I do? 

While I was thinking, 

“Something fun……… Oh, by the way… I do like food tours, so I’d like to try different foods.” 

Rin said this quietly, looking down bashfully. 

“Well, then, how about you aim for that and earn a bit as an explorer?” 

“…I-I’m okay with that? I feel like it’s kind of rude to the other explorers, though…” 

…Well, if you look at Kiryu-san and the others….. 

Some people become explorers with a purpose, whether it’s for someone else or to climb the social ladder. 

“Ah, that’s more than enough. No one has to force themselves to be an explorer. In fact, I think your kind of enjoyment is probably healthier.” 

“…I’m glad you said that.” 

Rin breathed a sigh of relief, as if she had truly been comforted. 

…Well, what’s expected of an S-Rank Explorer is someone like Kiryu-san. 

Someone who actively dives into dungeons and continuously clears them… That’s what people are looking for. 

I guess Rin must have been struggling with those expectations. 

“Food tours, huh… So it’s a hobby, then?” 

“…Yeah, I guess so.” 

“I might try finding a hobby too… I don’t have many.” 

“Eh? H-hobbies like… streaming—no, I mean, I watch streams or argue online sometimes… Just normal hobbies for a high school girl?” 

“Normal hobbies, huh…… I wonder what I could do besides fighting in dungeons.” 

“Well, maybe play games or read manga? My classmates talk about stuff like that all the time.” 

“I see…” 

I do sometimes play games, but I never really have the time for it. 

On holidays, I just want to rest. 

“I think I’ll try food tours too.” 

“Oh, if that’s the case… How about we go together sometime, Haruto? A food tour, I mean.” 

Rin opened her mouth with a determined expression. 

Sharing hobbies, huh. Well, hobbies can often start from something like this. 

“Eh? Is it okay?”

“Y-yeah! There’s this place with a special menu for couples, and—ah, n-no, not as a couple or anything!” 

Rin stammered, flustered as she tripped over her words. 

…C-couples. The word gave me a bit of a jolt, but it was probably just a slip of the tongue. 

“….Well, you mean like a male-female pair, right?” 

“Y-yeah! That! …W-would you like to go there with me?” 

“Sure, sounds good. Let’s try it out.” 

At that moment, Yuna gave us a sidelong glance. Her eyes were half-lidded in exasperation. 

“…….You two, come on. Get back to work. Hands, not mouths.” 

“Ah, sorry.” 

We immediately resumed helping Yuna with the cleaning. 

It was then that something from the TV caught Yuna’s attention. 

“Ah, isn’t this a feature about Haruto?” 

At her words, Rin and I turned our eyes to the screen. 

…Lately, this kind of thing has been happening a lot. Compared to before, there’s clearly been a huge increase in media coverage about me. 

Until recently, I was openly shunned. So even though the attention has shifted so dramatically, instead of feeling happy, it just feels unsettling. 

It’s like the media has done such a massive U-turn, I’m surprised their wrists haven’t broken from the whiplash. 

『Next up is a special feature on an explorer who deserves reevaluation: Haruto Amakusa!』 

My name appeared in big letters on the screen, accompanied by overly emotional music. 

Clips of my battles, taken from Kiryu-san’s stream, were edited and broadcasted. 

…Even the footage of the swarm of abnormal monsters that was initially credited to Rin had been corrected to show that I was the one who defeated them. 

There isn’t a single outlet badmouthing me now. 

…But this complete turnaround, where they’re suddenly showering me with praise, feels a bit nauseating. 

Why does everything have to swing so wildly to one extreme or the other?